By Michael Hill
Correspondent
A repeat drunk driver did this to Steven Benvenisti on spring bring in Florida in 1989. Doctors called his parents to donate his organs.
“My orthopedic injuries were so bad that they said that it did not look like they would be able to repair my legs. But most seriously, the damage to my brain was so severe — along with the internal bleeding and the hemorrhaging — that if they didn’t consent to organ donation that it would be too late if they put that decision off and even if I did survive it that most likely that I would be permanently and totally disabled,” Benvenisti said.
But, Benvenisti miraculously fully recovered, became a personal injury lawyer and now serves on the boards of directors of the national and the state chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
Ten years ago, MADD launched its Campaign to End Drunk Driving.
“The good news is that there’s been a reduction in drunk driving fatalities of 24 percent since we’ve initiated our campaign,” Benvenisti said.
Now, MADD has looked at each state’s laws to eliminate drunk driving, rating them with stars for each of five categories: ignition interlock devices, sobriety checkpoints, administrative license revocation, child endangerment and sobriety refusals.
MADD gave New Jersey two out of five stars. One for sobriety checkpoints at least once a month, a half star for addressing minors in the car with drunk drivers and another half star for requiring an ignition interlock device to those who refuse field sobriety tests.
“That’s 31 percent below the national average. There’s a lot that New Jersey can do,” Benvenisti said.
And Benvenisti has tried, testifying before five state legislative committees to require ignition interlock device in cars of convicted drunk drivers to stop them from driving under the influence again.
Last year, Gov. Christie conditionally vetoed an ignition interlock bill describing it as too lenient. While supporters and MADD said it was one of the best defenses to keeping drunk drivers off the roads.
Sen. Nicholas Scutari sponsored the bill.
“That was to increase the use of interlock devices and decrease the number of automatic suspensions. Because suspensions of drivers who are convicted of DWIs doesn’t stop them from driving they get back in the car and drive home from court, even though their suspended,” Scutari said.
Benvenisti says the 28 states that have that law have seen drunk driving fatalities decrease by up to 50 percent. He’s working toward an even bigger goal.
“I am confident that there will come a time, in our lifetime, when we will say there are no more victims of drunk driving in this country,” he said.